


You Won't Live Twice

by void_dreamers



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: AU, All Human, F/M, Roadtrip/vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-07-28 22:20:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7659052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/void_dreamers/pseuds/void_dreamers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles, Scott and Isaac go on a bachelor trip and finally complete a long-standing pact, which could change their lives forever</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Familiar Strangers

He had no idea that the party would be this thriving. Everyone was laughing and drinking champagne or dancing and making small talk. Scott looked around the table; Lydia was talking with Allison while Isaac was laughing with Parrish and the Sheriff about something. Smiling as he watched them, he still felt like there was something missing.  
Stiles.  
It was wrong. Isaac and Allison were getting married! And he wasn’t even here to celebrate with them. When they were in high school, he used to be the one begging for the group to go out and celebrate every little thing. He was the one who went on about a vision where they were all living in a 5-mile radius. And now, he was the one who left them behind.  
Scott quickly shook his head, ridding himself of the pessimistic thoughts. Scott stood up and cleared his throat. “Uh, excuse me”  
Everyone quickly grew silent and turned their heads to Scott, who slightly gulped at the sight of all eyes on him. Maybe, making a speech wasn’t the best idea. Lydia gave him a small, comforting smile and gestured for him to continue.  
“Hi, I’m Scott. Isaac and I have been buds since high school.”  
“The three musketeers” he heard Allison shout.  
“Yeah, the three musketeers. That’s what they used to call us in high school. Unfortunately, the third musketeer, Stiles is no longer with us.” He saw Lydia’s face fall and John make an uncomfortable cough so he decided to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry, he’s alive” he smiled as everyone let out a small laugh. “He’s just not here tonight. Anyway, Isaac and Allison, here’s a long happy life for you. And Isaac is the nicest guy ever. He may be pessimistic and always wears scarves with everything-”  
“Come on, man” Isaac complained, followed by a laugh and a kiss on the cheek from Allison.  
“But he will always be there for you. So just put your hand in his and walk away together because he will never let you down. To Allison and Isaac everybody!”  
“Cheers!” everyone took a sip from their champagne as Allison and Isaac kissed deeply.  
Scott watched the two with a grin on his face, which quickly simmered down to a small smile. His mind flooded of memories of when he and Allison were together in high school. It was years ago but he still remembers how strong their love was.  
He had since moved on, and he genuinely wished the best for Allison and Isaac, but there was a small part of him that wished that things were not so different. He wanted someone by his side, someone he deeply loved, he wanted his best friend there with him and the gang, or the pack as everyone used to call them, would be together forever.  
That’s the thing, life is unexpected. And you can’t live twice.  
____  
“So, what’s Isaac doing for his bachelor party?” Lydia asked casually. Allison and Lydia were in the bathroom, fixing their hair and makeup.  
Allison frowned slightly at the redhead through the mirror. She shrugged. “Isaac and Scott are going to Spain. They’re going to try to bring Stiles aswell. It’s part of a pact that they made at graduation. Each of them are going to pick an adventure sport to do and they all have to do it, no exceptions.”  
“Oh. Is that all?”  
Allison turned to her best friend, curious. “What do you mean?”  
Lydia sighed and turned to Allison, putting a hand on her arm. “Look, Allison. I’m not trying to scare you. I’m just saying that there could be a number of things that the boys could do on their trip that you won’t know about. I still don’t know what Parrish did on his bachelor party.  
Allison licked her lips and nodded once, putting the thought to the back of her mind as she turned back to the mirror.  
____  
Isaac handed Scott and Parrish their beers, each of them taking a chug.  
“So, any plans for your bachelor party?” Isaac and Scott looked at each other briefly, figuring out how to answer Parrish’s question.  
“We’re actually going to Spain and each of us will choose an adventure thing to do. We were supposed to do it four years ago but since we never got to it, we decided what better time to do it than before my wedding?”  
“Cool. You know, Lydia told me about this pact thing. Is Stiles going to go?”  
Scott shrugged. “We’re trying to get him to come with us. He made it with us, so it won’t be the same without it”  
Parrish didn’t ask any more about it, instead nodding and sipping his beer. It was hard enough for all of them to not hear from their best friend for years. It was better not to bring up a painful subject. It was weird; the only ones who heard from him was Scott and Lydia.  
He sometimes talked to him when they would be in the same room in the sheriff station, but other than that, Stiles wouldn’t speak to anyone. He always wondered what happened between them that made him so reserved, considering he was a hyperactive goofball in high school.  
Isaac cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject. “Anyway, when are you going to tell Lydia about this so-called ‘incident’ at your bachelor party?”  
“Are you kidding? I don’t want to tell my wife about that!”  
Scott looked back and forth at Isaac and Parrish. “Huh? What did happen?”  
Parrish sighed, running a hand over his face. He couldn't believe that he had to tell this story again. "OK, don't tell Lydia this. In our bedroom, I saw the stripper and Lydia's dad". Parrish widened his eyes and made a face that clearly read as "you-know-what" Isaac and Scott looked at him in awe, turning to each other with both awestruck and disturbed expression on their faces.  
____  
He jabbed numbers on his phone that he had learned by heart already. It had been a while since he actually called him. Then again, he hasn’t called anyone in a while. It wasn’t like he was ignoring them, he was just busy. He was always busy nowadays.  
He took a deep breath as he heard the phone ring. It wasn’t until the fourth ring until his friend picked up.  
“Hello?” His voice was groggy, sounding like he just woke up from a nap. He didn’t think that he checked the caller ID, otherwise he would have sounded more alert and happy.  
“Hey Scott”  
“Stiles? Hey man. How you’ve been? It’s been like 2 months since you called.” Stiles pressed his lips together in guilt. He knew that Scott meant it as innocent small talk, but he still couldn’t help the way his gut fell in guilt.  
“I’ve been fine.” Stiles immediately cleared his throat, changing the subject. “Listen, I don’t think I’ll be able to make it”  
“What? Dude, we’ve been planning this trip since our high school graduation!”  
“I know, I’m sorry. But I’ll be-”  
“Stiles, no. Your dad is the sheriff and he gave you the time off. So work is not a valid excuse. Come on, man. Why do you keep postponing it?”  
“Scott, while we’re in Spain having fun, I’ll be missing a lot of work. I don’t want to do that”  
He could hear Scott groan over the phone. He knew Scott would understand, but he also knew that overtime, even Scott would get annoyed with his workaholic nature. It was times like this that he wished he could tell him why. It was his best friend damnit! He would understand for sure!  
“I get that. Listen, I know how much your work means to you so I’ll make you a deal. If you stick with us for the trip and do everything that your plan lists... you can leave as soon as it’s over. You don’t need to hang out with us if we stay for longer.”  
Scott imagined Stiles make a face, thinking deeply if he should agree or not. It made you think of what happened to him; what made him turn into the workaholic he is now.  
“Alright, fine. I’ll come with”  
A wide grin spread on Scott’s face. “Great! I promise you, you won’t regret this! I’ll see you at the airport, then”  
“Yeah. See you then, Scotty”. A small smile grew on Stiles’ face as he hung up, which soon disappeared as he walked back to his desk.  
\----


	2. Strangers with Memories

Scott waited in the airport, scuffling his feet across the floor as Isaac brought the car. Ever since he got the news that Stiles was coming to the trip with them, he had spent the entire flight on the phone.  
Rubbing his eyes tiredly, he looked up and he was suddenly alert at the sight of a familiar face making his way towards him.  
“Tired already? We haven’t even started yet!” Scott laughed before he pulled Stiles in for a brief hug. It had only been a few months since he had seen Stiles in person but it actually felt like he had been alone for a long time, considering everyone else was coupled up and went on with their own lives.  
“Where’s Isaac?” Stiles looked around as each of them walked out of the airport, dragging their luggage behind them.  
“I have no idea. He said to wait for you. Apparently, he’s got a gift for you as a thank s for coming”  
Stiles opened his mouth to reply before his eyes shifted from Scott to Isaac, who was rounding the corner. Stiles’ mouth hung open, excited as Isaac parked a Jeep in front of them.  
Stiles stood there, his arms fanned out in front of the Jeep with his hand flailing everywhere, acting like he was a 16-year old boy who got his first car.  
Smiling, Isaac hopped out of the car and handed Stiles the keys. “Thanks for coming, man”  
Stiles stood there, giddy with excitement. He started to stutter, unable to grasp how nostalgic he had felt. The times when he used to drive everyone in his Jeep flooded through his mind all at once. He knew he had grown up and he didn’t need the Jeep anymore, but there was still a part of him that was his 16-year-old immature and goofy self in him.  
“Oh my God! Oh, dude, this is so... you are.... thanks man! And congratulations on your wedding!” Isaac grunted as Stiles quickly pulled him in for a tight hug. Quickly letting go, Stiles eagerly took the keys from Isaac and jumped in, starting the car.  
“Someone’s eager, huh?” Isaac murmured as he gathered the bags into the trunk.  
“Oh hey, Scott, hope you don’t mind but on the way, I’m going to have to stop to take a few work calls”  
Scott and Isaac stopped dead in their tracks as soon as Stiles had said those last two words. Isaac licked his lips as Scott let out a sigh, the sparkle of excitement quickly turning into disappointment.  
It was one thing to bring a workaholic Stiles Stilinski to Spain, but a working Stiles Stilinski would be harder to handle.  
_______  
Scott looked out the window as Stiles drove, watching the trees grow more distorted. Turning to his friends, he saw Isaac doing the same as he did just seconds before. The first hour they had been driving, they were making small talk, catching up on each other’s lives. The second hour, they had stopped so Stiles could make a call to the Beacon Hills Police Department which had derailed their journey for at least an hour and a half. Now they were on their way to Costa Brava, in silence.  
As much as he liked to admit, the whole trip would be a waste if Stiles would work through it all. The whole point of the pact was so they could step out of their comfort zones and make their fears go away. And after six years since their high school graduation, it was time to finally put the pact in place and become ‘fearless’ in their own way.  
The sound of a ringtone snapped Scott out of his daydream. He let out a small groan as Stiles quickly reached for his phone and answered the call, all while keeping his eyes on the road as if he was so used to doing this.  
“Stiles, come on. That’s the thirteenth call you’ve made this hour!” Stiles ignored him, instead choosing to give him a look through the mirror a continuing talking to his partner. Scott rolled his eyes as Isaac straightened up, taking a sip out of his drink. “Oh someone please throw that damn phone out the window!”  
Isaac casually took another sip, took the phone and threw it out the window.  
Stiles’ eyes widened and he abruptly stopped the Jeep, scrambling out while Scott gaped at Isaac.”Did you just-“  
“What the fuck?!” Stiles yelled out as he scrambled out the Jeep, shooting Isaac a glare as he passed him. His eyebrows drawn together, Stiles walked to the side of the road, not stopping as Scott and Isaac called out his name, quickly following him.  
“Stiles, I’m sorry, alright. I shouldn’t have done that”  
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have” Stiles remarked as he skidded to a stop, overlooking the shoulder. He briefly fanned his arms out and pressed his lips together. “Great! My phone is gone!”  
“Sorry, I didn’t think he would do it” Scott turned to face Isaac, who stood at the car, his hands shoved in his pockets with his head down while Stiles started to pace, his hands on his hips. The last time something like this had happened, it was Stiles who did it to Isaac. He never got mad, he just laughed alongside Stiles. That’s how much times had changed, how much they had changed.  
“I can’t believe this! You threw my phone out of a moving car! That was an important call!”  
“That’s what you always say” Isaac finally looked up at him, moving off the Jeep and taking a few steps towards him, his hands still in his pockets.  
Scott watches the scene quietly, taking a step back. He reckoned that a few words would be thrown but he decided it to be better for them to let it out now rather than ruin the trip later.  
“Hasn’t it occurred to you at all that if you keep on making these calls, you’re not going to enjoy the trip? That was the whole point of this pact; to enjoy ourselves for once, see what else is out there in the world”  
“Enough about this stupid pact? We’re 24 now, it’s time to grow up!”  
“Stupid pact? You’re the one who made it all up! You, the socially awkward, annoyingly sarcastic, lacrosse-playing and actual fun Stiles!”  
Scott watched as Stiles rolled his eyes and half turned away from him. “That was high school, Isaac. I’m sorry that I became more mature and you didn’t”  
Isaac glanced at Scott as he scoffed at Stiles. “Can you believe this guy? Stiles, for four years, we have been struggling to keep in touch with you because you’ve been working! Do you even remember those times in high school? Hell, even Lydia gets worried sick about you.... but I guess getting rejected by her took a toll on you or you wouldn’t be ignoring her, huh?”  
“Isaac..” Scott started to warn him but Stiles cut him off.  
“No, Scott. Let him talk. Let’s hear more of what this guy has to say, huh” Scott could clearly hear the anger seeping out of Stiles. He had never heard Stiles become this angry. It was like he had turned into a completely different person. But if he knew Stiles, he rarely argued with his fists but his words packed a powerful punch.  
“Wow. I’ve gone from Isaac, one of Stiles’ friends to ‘this guy’”  
Stiles let out a groan as he ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. “You know what, Isaac. Do you want to know why you’re ‘this guy’ now? Do you want to know why I work all the time?”  
“Yes please. Enlighten us!”  
Stiles opened his mouth but he quickly closed his mouth. He wasn’t ready to expose it all yet. Maybe, to Scott but he was still unsure whether Scott would understand either.  
Stiles glared at Isaac, his lips pressed tightly together. Scott sighed and stepped in between Stiles and Isaac, blocking each other’s view.  
“Guys, stop it! Just shut up, both of you. This is exactly the reason why we cancelled the trip before. And if we can’t do this now, when are we ever going to do this?”  
Stiles and Isaac glanced at each other briefly before focusing on Scott. They both knew what he meant. The person who was most affected by the separation was Scott. His best friend had distanced himself from him, and he was the only one who didn’t have someone; Isaac had Allison and Lydia had Parrish.  
“Look, I don’t know about you but I want to finish this pact once and for all. If you guys can’t get through that, then you might as well go back to the airport and go home.”  
Stiles sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “No, you’re right.”  
Isaac shook his head, looking out the shoulder. “Today, we are here for my bachelor trip. Let’s just put this behind us and carry on. For our high-school selves”  
The three of them nodded and made their way back to the Jeep, Stiles casting one last look at the shoulder before he drove away.  
_______  
Scott Stiles looked around as he sat on the deck chair, typing on his computer as he watched Scott and Isaac dive into the sea, swimming down.  
The phone ordeal done and dusted behind them, the three got to their hotel and after a look around, the three unpacked and made their way to the beach. Stiles didn’t see the point of going to a beach, when instead he could’ve stayed at the hotel and worked on a case.  
Stiles, waiting for the page to load, looked up. Looking to his right, his gaze focused on a young woman twirling ribbon kites.  
She looked beautiful; the wind blowing her long, brown hair back behind her. She seemed free-spirited. She slowly blinked as she looked out the horizon, her hand fixing the strap of her floral maxi dress.  
Stiles licked his lips and looked back at his computer. He inwardly sighed in relief as Scott and Isaac approached him. Scott curiously drew his eyebrows together at Stiles as Isaac averted his gaze to the same woman.  
“Who is she?”  
“Don’t know” Stiles innocently shrugged, his gaze once again on the woman.  
“She’s nice” Scott said as he sat down, resting a hand on his chin.  
“Really nice” Stiles let out. Scott raised his eyebrows at him.  
Smirking, Isaac took a few steps forward, earning Stiles’ attention. “I’m gonna go talk to her”  
Stiles straightened up, his shoulders guarded. “Hey. I saw her first so I get to talk to her first. Aren’t you getting married anyway?”  
“Would you relax? There’s no harm in talking to her”  
Scott and Stiles looked at each other, dumbfounded. The two looked at Isaac approaching her, leaning back in their chairs.  
“Hola” Isaac smiled as she looked at him and smiled. “Uh, may I?”  
“Sure, go ahead” she smiled as she handed him the ribbons, watching as he slowly spun them around. She sighed, looking back at the sea as she ran a hand through her hair.  
“So where are you from?”  
“New York”  
“Oh. I’m from Beacon Hills. It’s a small town in-“  
“California” Isaac frowned in surprise, a confused smile crossing his face as she laughed a little. “My sister lives there and I moved from there”  
“Cool” Isaac handed the ribbons back to her, returning the small grin that she gave him. “Um... maybe you want to join me and my friends for a drink?”  
She let out a breath as she put the kites in her bag. “Um, I actually have to get up really early tomorrow. Sorry and thanks anyway” she smiled at him once again before she took off.  
“Hey” she half-turned so she was facing Isaac. “What’s your name?”  
“Malia”  
“I’m Isaac.... but my friends call me Romeo” Malia nodded in amusement, her eyebrows shot up to her forehead as Scott let out a laugh. Malia awkwardly waved at him before she set off.  
Stiles watched her leave, running a hand through her hair.  
_______  
Stiles looked up at Isaac as he dropped a box in front of him. He frowned as he opened it, gasping at what was inside.  
Stiles picked up the pick phone and pointed at it. “What is this?”  
“It’s your new phone” Isaac innocently looked at the box, Stiles’ annoyed expression going by unnoticed.  
“This, this- I’m a cop, I’m not going out in public, using this!”  
Scott laughed as he approached them, handing them a glass of wine. “Shut up, Scott. Please”  
“Alright, calm down. Now, on with business” The three of them raised their glasses.  
“The sport that I have chosen is deep-sea diving”  
Stiles choked on his drink. “What?” He coughed out. “I’m sorry, how did this become ‘Let’s torture Stiles’ holiday?”  
Scott put a hand on Stiles’ shoulder. “Look, I know that you have a fear of water and drowning. But this is completely safe and this is the whole point of the pact, to step out of our comfort zones-“  
“-and get rid of our fears. I know. But Scott, I just don’t understand how I’ll be able to do this”  
Isaac made a clucking sound as he sipped his drink. Stiles licked his lips and tipped the glass over, pouring the red wine over Isaac’s shirt. Isaac spluttered, his face and shirt dripping wet.  
“You might want to go to the bathroom. You’ve got something on your shirt” Stiles smiled at a glaring Isaac who shoved a laughing Scott gently to the side.  
Scott and Stiles gleefully clinked their glasses and took a sip, watching as Isaac walked into the bathroom, resulting in several girls screaming their head off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I had trouble finding inspiration so I watched the movie again... and all 5 seasons of teen wolf (sad it's ending though). Hope you liked it :)


	3. Fear Stays at the Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles seeks comfort from Malia about his fears and the boys go deep sea diving as part one of their pact

Stiles let out a shuddering breath, rubbing his hands as he looked at the ocean. Scott and Isaac had watched as he paced and then sat down at the rocks, his hands fiddling and his leg bouncing and then started pacing again. They had never seen him so anxious before. Scott licked his lips, wanting to say something but no words came out. 

They had made the pact almost 6 years ago and not once did they think how afraid they might be.

“How long until the instructor comes?” Stiles bit the skin around his nail nervously. 

“Should be any minute now” 

“Scott McCall?” The three turned as a familiar voice made their way towards them. Turning around, Stiles’ anxiety immediately simmered. 

Scott smiled and stepped forward, shaking Malia’s hand politely. “Yeah, that’s me” 

“I’m Malia, I’m your diving instructor... obviously or I wouldn’t be here” Malia’s smile grew wider as she quickly shrugged the joke off, averting her gaze to Stiles and Isaac. 

“This is Stiles” Malia smiled at him, partly because she had never met anyone with that name before. Stiles greeted her with a smile, shaking her hand. He may be calm on the outside but on the inside, his heart was pounding. 

He was pretty sure that he was never going to meet her again. The time that he watched her leave the beach, part of him was glad that she wouldn’t interfere with him working but the other part of him was regretting not taking the chance to talk to her. He wanted to blame Isaac for chasing her away but he knew that it was irrational- and he was not meant to be irrational. Besides, Isaac was still a kid at heart so he was certain that he probably never comprehended what he actually said. 

“Let me guess. Romeo?” Stiles let out an amused snort as Isaac cheeks flushed red, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. 

“In my defence... I um- I um, uh” Isaac stuttered as Malia raised her eyebrow at him, amused. “It just slipped out, you know. I couldn’t help it. You know, getting married makes you a little nervous and impulsive”

“You’re getting married and you flirted with me?” Malia’s eyebrows shot up further as a playful smirk formed. Isaac’s eyes grew wide, his face red as he turned to Scott and Stiles for support, whom tilted their heads expectedly. Isaac groaned childishly and sat down on the rocks in surrender. 

Scott and Stiles laughed, sharing a high-five as they sat down on the rocks, Malia resting on the large rock in front of them. A smile tugged at the sides of Malia’s lips as she watched the three of them joke around and laugh. Within five minutes, she learned that the three of them were like rock, paper and scissors but she had to admit, the more she watched them, the more she noticed that the three were like brothers but there was bound to be an odd one out. But, the question wasn’t why, it was who. 

“Stiles” Stiles blinked, slowly turning his gaze from Malia to Scott. 

Malia blushed a little at the action, realizing that Stiles kept his gaze on her for a while. There was something about him that intrigued her. He is attractive, and he might not have realized it. But it wasn’t just about looks with her- she liked people who were loyal and fun. 

She quickly shook her head, pushing her thoughts to the back of her mind as Scott started to talk. 

“Stiles, if you don’t want to do this no one’s forcing you.” 

“He can’t swim” Isaac explained to her without revealing too much. Stiles shot Isaac a glare as Malia nodded, shifting her gaze from Isaac to Stiles. 

She blinked, trying to keep her gaze into his brown eyes. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine” 

Stiles smiled softly at her, pressing his lips lightly together at the same time. He was lying if he said that Malia’s friendly yet firm voice calmed him down, but it didn’t do enough to calm him down. If anything, it made him even more nervous. If the girl he liked was diving with them, he would look even more of a prick if he had trouble.

He expected to start flailing and thrashing around, shouting that he couldn’t breathe, when in actual fact he would be fine. But the fear wasn’t just of water. It was fear of drowning; the fear of sinking down the plunging water with no-one there for to help him, or hear him scream. If he could scream.  
As a kid growing up, he was the hyperactive one. He would always laugh and play and be as loud as he wanted to be. It was if he had a form of control over his life that no-one could take away. Obviously, some of it was taken away during the incident and since then, he plunged himself into his work to bring that lost control back. He didn’t know if he was going to die during the dive. So what would happen to everything he had worked hard for? 

“So, should we get started?”  
______  
The sun was set high, the light perfectly hitting the soft waves of the blue ocean. It was calm, the sounds of the water drifting echoed through the wind, reaching their ears.

Lifting her sunglasses to her head, Malia watched as the guys zipped up into their gear and handled the equipment. Crossing her arms, she watched as two out of three guys got ready. Looking around, she saw the third guy sitting at the rocks, looking at the water whilst holding a bunch of papers, balancing a tablet on his lap. 

Frowning, she quietly made his way over to him, watching him as he typed rapidly at his computer, often frowning or pursing his lips in confusion. She smiled as she stopped in front of him, subtly eyeing him up and down. 

“What are you doing?” Stiles jumped, his arms suddenly flailing about. He looked up, letting out a relieved breath and visibly relaxing as he caught sight of Malia standing in front of him, looking amused. 

“Working” Stiles shifted his gaze back to his tablet, scratching his forehead with the side of his thumb in concentration. Malia raised her eyebrows as he bit his lip in concentration, rapidly typing as if she wasn’t there. 

Normally, anyone would be frustrated at his rude blow off and would just leave him in peace with a scowl on their face. It was the old ‘heave-ho’ method Stiles used when he didn’t want to be disturbed. It was his way of being anti-social whenever he was too nervous to make friends or if he simply didn’t want to. It was also his new and improved way to ignore his problems until they went away. In this case: facing his fears. 

He looked up, lightly frowning in confusion when Malia sat near him, resting her elbows on her knees and her hands on her chin, staring at him in silence with an inscrutable expression. Stiles refrained from smiling at her and cleared his throat, returning to his work. 

She watched as he occasionally glanced at her. It wasn’t working. Why wasn’t it working? The only people that the blow-off hadn’t worked on were: his father, Scott, Lydia and the rest of his friends. Having had enough, he shoved his stuff in his bag, kicking it away and turning to her in one swift motion.  
“What is it?” 

Malia bit her lip to repress the small laughter that was beginning to build. She did see the humorous side to it but she also saw that with Stiles, there was no joking about when it came to work. It was if he was hiding something traumatic, something that changed him and the entire approach of how he looked at life.  
Taking into account that it was a sensitive issue, Malia licked her lips, casting her gaze on the floor before she looked straight into his eyes. “You seem to work a lot. Almost everytime I see you, you’re either on the phone or on your computer and every time you’re holding a bunch of papers in your hand” 

Stiles let out a small sigh and bit his lip softly. So, it was that obvious. Malia even sounded cautious when she started to talk about it. Scott was right, he really needed to unwind. 

“Why do you do it?” Malia cocked her head, watching as Stiles opened and closed his mouth, considering whether to open up to a complete stranger. “Hey, I won’t judge. I promise”

Stiles stared at her in awe. He never opened up to anyone besides his friends. He may be energetic but he was also reserved.  
“It calms me down. Whenever I’m nervous or afraid, I just start solving a case and then suddenly I’m not nervous or scared anymore. I know it sounds really simple but I can assure it’s far from that. When I was a kid, I had no idea what I wanted to do in life. I just wanted to help people. Cops help people, but they’re not the guardian angels people think they are. So, I decided that I would be the best guardian angel I could be"

He knew the excuse he gave was bullshit. Honestly, he was just covering up the real reason why he worked, but to some extent it was true. After the incident, working was the only way he felt that he could go back to being himself again. Overtime, he did feel like himself again but more mature and reserved. If anything, he was nothing but reserved.

Malia listened attentively, and like promised, she didn’t judge. But there was something off about him. He didn’t seem like the type to delve into something impulsively. “My dad used to repair old cars because it was who he was” Stiles looked up at the random comment. “He told me to do whatever to be yourself... and I think that you’re not being yourself”

Stiles shrugged and let out a small scoff. “So what should I do?” 

A small smile spread across Malia’s face, leaving Stiles confused when she stood up and started to walk away from him. He cocked his head forward in anticipation, his mind sorting through various responses. 

Malia deliberately stopped in her tracks and turned around, so she was exactly halfway between him and the boat that Scott and Isaac were currently waiting on.  
“That’s not up to me” Malia sent him one last smile before she joined the boys, who were looking at the sea and talking quietly among themselves. 

Stiles inwardly sighed, his eyes cast downwards before he glanced out to the water in turmoil.  
______  
Carrying the gear on their backs, the three nodded to each other before putting the piece in the mouth and jumping down. 

Stiles stood on the edge, hesitating to jump after his friends, his breathing coming out long and drawn. Her hands on her hips, Malia stood at the edge of the sea and turned to Stiles, her small grin unwavering as she looked at him. She held out her hand, redirecting Stiles’ gaze on the blue waters onto her and then onto her hand. “Come on” 

Stiles licked his lips as he put the mouth valve in, grabbed her surprisingly cold hand and jumped in.  
______  
He didn’t know whether he was dying or just freaking out. Two minutes in deep and already he was feeling like he couldn’t breathe and the water was filling up his lungs until he was suffocating- which was impossible considering he had a full tank of oxygen strapped on his back. 

As he delved deeper, that was when the panic set in. He shook his head frantically, air bubbles quickly forming in large sizes as he struggled to breathe. Swimming onto his back, he blinked as a figure came closer to him. 

Malia came to a stop near him, to assure him that he wasn’t abandoned. She rested two fingers on the nozzle for a brief moment and then pointing to her eyes.  
Stiles took slow and deep breaths as far as the air tank could allow him. Looking at his watch, he saw that he had 20 minutes left of the dive. Nodding, he clenched his eyes shut, his mind slowly letting go. 

He needed to do this, get rid of his fear and go for it. Live his life the way he wanted to originally. 

Opening his eyes, he saw Scott at the other end of the reef. The two nodded to each other before they went their separate ways; Scott swimming to the top end of the reef whilst Stiles followed Malia down to the end. 

Stiles eyes grew wider as he took in the vivid colours of the fish and the reefs. Swimming closer, he felt the temperature drop. It wasn’t like a winter chill, bringing a shiver to his skin; it was more like the coolness of an autumn breeze. It was rather welcoming. Almost ten minutes later, he couldn’t believe it... but he was enjoying it. He stopped worrying about the potential drowning and was finally letting loose for the first time in six years and he was experiencing the thrills of the deep blue sea that nothing, not even working on a case, could give him. He felt the freedom that the dive gave him as he passed each rocky wall and the serene variations of colour from one scene to the next. 

Looking past his shoulder, he saw Isaac signalling him, telling him it was time to go. Stiles looked out at the sea one last time before he followed Isaac.  
Stiles squinted as he reached the top, gasping for breath as he submerged and removed the nozzle immediately, the cold wind hitting his face. 

Malia gave each of the boys a high five as they removed their equipment on the boat. Scott hugged a relieved Stiles, his hand squeezing his shoulder when they parted. Each of them sat, looking towards them at the bleak landscape. 

Isaac watched Stiles clench his hands in front of him, deep in thought. Isaac shot a grateful smile to Malia. This was it. He could tell. Isaac had the ability to read people; what they were thinking, whether they were happy or needed a shoulder to cry on. For the past six years, he could barely read Stiles. Mainly because he was never around. But this time, he could read Stiles clearly. The dive must have been a life-changing moment because it looked as if his walls were ever so slightly coming down. 

Stiles stood and walked to the edge as he looked out to sea, water dripping from his face. The dive was incredible. It was if he didn’t want to leave. The moment flowed through and to him; there was nothing but deep blue silence as he felt the freedom, his senses and thoughts heightened to pinnacles of awareness. It was just him, his breath and his heartbeat. The deepness made him realize how lonely he truly was. It was just him... and he intended to change that. It all made him believe in his existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it. I want to write more of adventure stories so the deep sea dive was part one of three!


	4. Small Hint of Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles begins to accept the changes in life whilst Isaac hits a bump in the road

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was beta by awake-0r-dreaming- who is really talented and you should check out her story: Even If I Swim, I'll Drown, if you haven't already, for all those Stalia shippers out there. Thank you so much Nenz :)

“Need some help?”

Stiles looked up from his chopping as Malia walked in, his mouth opening slightly, as he watched her lean against the counter.

“Nope, almost done.”

She bent over a little to look at the recipe. “Paella, very nice. Where did you get all the prawns from?”

“Oh, a prawn bit me during the dive so I decided to kidnap its family and cook them alive,” Stiles replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Stiles looked up, a smile slowly falling into place as Malia’s eyebrows rose to her forehead in amusement. Stiles’ eyes scanned her face as she chuckled, the corner of her lips briefly rising as she ducked her head.

Malia cleared her throat quickly, tucking a couple strands of her hair back. She could’ve sworn there was something different about him. Just like that, and he had changed.

Before when she looked into Stiles’ warm brown eyes, she saw nothing. It was as though he’d built these walls around him, mentally closing himself off. But now, his eyes gleamed with laughter and hope—kind of like flowers growing in the spring, bright colours replacing what had faded in the winter. Sure, the walls were still up there but she could see they were slowly chipping away.

It’s amazing what can happen in life; it being full of unpredictable moments. One day, you could experience a small moment that could change your life forever or how you look at something; the butterfly effect taking its course.

“You’re different.”

Stiles frowned slightly as he continued to chop, his eyes meeting her gleaming brown eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. You seem more… Happier. How was it?” Malia asked curiously.

Stiles shrugged in sudden shyness. “It was amazing.” He licked his lips as he hesitated to continue. “It felt like the most peaceful place on earth. Thank you.”

Malia’s small smile turned into a grin, her eyes sparkling in reminiscence. “When I did my first dive, I didn’t want to leave. Stopping myself was impossible.”

“It can get addictive,”

Malia scoffed, “Addiction is such a negative word.” Stiles raised his eyebrows at her. “Diving is like… a whole new world opened out for you. You’re aware of everything you’re doing; every breath, every moment. Can you imagine living like that? Being fully alive; never letting any moment get away?”

Stiles nodded, her words surprisingly sinking in. It was impossible to think of the little things, when life continued to throw utter bullshit at you.

He admired Malia, and how she had been to be able to move forward like that. It had only been a minute and a half and he was already thinking how she lived her life with adventure, filled with optimism and the excitement of the unknown.

___

“Allison, it was amazing. You should definitely do it!”

Allison’s smile grew wider, her sleeve covering half of her shy smile while she leaned her hand on her cheek. Her eyes sparkled with interest as Isaac told her all about the dive.

“What about Stiles? He has a fear of water, doesn’t he?”

Isaac nodded, a grin slowly forming. “Well, I don’t think he’s afraid any more. And I also think that we’ll be seeing a lot more of him from now on,”

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. Allison frowned as she heard a quiet but distinct voice in the corner. “Sorry to interrupt. Can I use your bathroom?”

Allison saw Isaac nod and smile. “Who is that?”

“Wait, come say hi to Allison,”

Allison blinked as an attractive woman came into view, smiling at her as she sat down on the bed next to Isaac, tucking her brownish-blonde hair behind her ears.

“Hi. You must be Allison. I’m Malia. I’ve heard so much about you… and you’re really pretty. And congratulations in advance for your wedding,”

Allison genuinely smiled back. She seemed really friendly, and already she could tell Malia was a down-to-earth girl; the way she smiled, the dreamcatcher necklace and her homemade, fashionable bracelets. “Thank you so much. It was nice to meet you, Malia. And you’re really pretty as well.”

“Thank you,” Malia shot her one last smile before she quickly jumped off the bed. Isaac watched her go, shooting Malia a grateful smile.

“She was our diving instructor. She’s a professional photographer but every June, she comes to Spain to teach diving courses. Can you believe it?”

“Yeah, I can’t.” Isaac frowned at her expression of contempt. Her eyes showed no hate or anger, but they were neutral. She felt no jealousy towards Malia; she didn’t. She trusted Isaac; she had ever since they became serious. But she couldn’t help but feel that small pang of unease. Why was their instructor even there anyway?

“Are you ok?”

Allison looked up, snapping from her thoughts. “No, yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… why is she even there?”

Isaac scrunched his nose in confusion, an eyebrow raised at her. “Scott invited her here. She’s our friend”

Allison cast her eyes down, as she pressed her lips together in guilt. “I know. I’m just… I’m sorry.”

“Allison—” Isaac sighed as Allison ended the call.

Allison ran a hand over her face and let out a huge sigh. She tightened her loose bun as her other hand closed her laptop and moved it to the table.

“It’s nothing. It’s most definitely nothing, right?”

“Right” Lydia put a hand on Allison’s arm as she bit her lip, staring off into space. “Trust me, trust Isaac and most importantly: yourself. Isaac isn’t the type that would cheat on you. Especially if you’re getting married in two months.”

Allison nodded her head and smiled.

“And if you really want to know, there’s always the one thing you can do” Allison furrowed her eyebrows in disagreement, turning to Lydia who lifted her eyebrows in expectation. 

____

“I’m telling you, Allison looks a lot like my ex-girlfriend. Right down to the eyes.” Isaac walked to the table as Malia scarfed down the paella.

Scott rolled his eyes. “OK, I doubt Allison has a long-lost twin in Argentina. You’re telling me more about that later, right?”

“Oh yeah. Of course. But, there was a little rough patch. I was still hung up on my ex-boyfriend at the time. I don’t even know what I was thinking anyway—he’s blonde, wasn’t my type,” Malia said before she scarfed another spoonful of paella down.

Stiles mentally complimented himself on his cooking. Most people thought cops weren’t good cooks but he learned during the first year he was away from Beacon Hills. Stiles looked over at Isaac, noticing he had barely touched his plate.

“You OK, Isaac?” Everyone turned their heads towards Isaac, who looked up, suddenly bashful at the attention. “Don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet. Besides, if you’re getting cold, then you should probably put on that ridiculous scarf even though it’s like 65 degrees out”

Isaac rolled his eyes and huffed in annoyance.

“He’s back!” Scott remarked, raising his eyebrows as he sipped his beer.

“Malia, I both thank and hate you for fixing Stiles” Isaac mockingly raised his glass to Malia as Stiles winked at Isaac, now eating his food.

Malia chuckled. “I didn’t fix anything. For all I know, he’s always been like this, even when he didn’t know it.

“Here, here!” Scott cheered as they all raised their bottles and downed their beers.

“Oh and hey. Since you guys treated me with this dinner, I want to invite all of you to the San Juan bonfire next week. My friend’s got a few extra tickets and I would like for you guys to be there,”

“Oh um—” Scott quickly glanced at Stiles in the corner of his eyes. He knew that Stiles liked to do things whenever he could. Sometimes he bent the rules, but only if he had a near to reasonable reason as to why.

“We’re going to Seville next week. Stiles already booked the reservations…”

Stiles glanced up from his food and froze, his spoon clattering softly on the plate, when he noticed everyone looking at him expectedly. For a short while, he seemed to be in deep thought before clearing his throat, he said, “Let me see what I can do,”

This time it was Scott and Isaac who froze. The two looked at each other before turning back to Stiles in shock. They looked like they had seen a ghost.

“OK, who are you and what have you done with the real Stiles Stilinski?”

Stiles rolled his eyes and skimmed through his temp phone. As if they couldn’t believe he could change.

Malia leaning her elbows on the table exclaimed, “Is that your phone?!”

Stiles silently groaned, closing his eyes briefly in frustration as the three burst into laughter over his very pink phone. “Let’s not go there”

______

Stiles absently stared at the pool as the recent events of the dinner flashed in his mind repeatedly. What happened to him out there? Scott made comments, saying his old friend was back, but it still felt off. He rarely changed his reservations, not even in high school.

How could one simple dive change his life so drastically? He didn’t know how to feel now that this change was inevitably making its mark in his planned life. For as long as he could remember, work had been his number one priority. Even in the past…  
\--  
“How could you do this?” Cora stormed into the apartment, Stiles quickly following her.

“I’m sorry Cora, but this was important to me,”

“Important? We’ve been planning this vacation for months and you go behind my back and cancel the tickets without even telling me!”

“Cora, please. Parrish gave me the case that would offer a huge deal for me. Please try to see that,” Stiles pleaded.

Cora rolled her eyes and came to a stop at the table, leaving a gap between them. “Try to see that I don’t care.” Cora turned around, anger visible on her face whilst shock was visible on his.

“Don’t ca— How could you not care about my life?”

Cora scoffed and ran a hand through her hair. “Don’t confuse your work with your life. It’s a part of your life. Just like this relationship is a part of your life. What about our relationship, Stiles?”

“What about it?” he asked back in confusion as he watched Cora hastily put her coat on. “I bought this apartment for the both of us to live together in. I’m planning a future with you”

“The future will come tomorrow. Where is our today?!”

Stiles looked down in guilt, licking his lips in consideration as Cora calmed down, staring at him with tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

“Cora, I really am sorry. Please try to understand.” Stiles put his hands gently on her cheeks, tucking a strand of hair back. “This deal will give the department the information it needs. This could boost my career.”

“What about our deal? You promised we would go to Italy no matter what”

“We’ll go next month,” Stiles was quick to say.

“It’s my birthday, Stiles. It won’t come next month.”

Stiles smiled forcefully, his lips pressed tightly against each other, guilt clearly woven into his eyes. 

“Cora—” Stiles started, but the familiar ring of his phone interrupted him. Stiles quickly answered, ushering out quick apologies to Cora, who shook her head, walking towards the door, her back facing him as she ran a hand through her hair.  
\--  
A loud ring brought Stiles out of his reverie. Picking his phone up, he looked at the screen.

It was work. It will always be work. Sighing, he pressed the ignore button.

He pressed ignore for the first time in years when it came to work. Staring at the pool, the corner of his lips tugged upwards as he leaned back in his chair.

He didn’t know what to do, but at least he knew that tomorrow would be a fresh start. And it felt good.

**Author's Note:**

> Based on an Indian movie; all credits go to that movie. I am not copying, simply using the general plot


End file.
